Box-cover-margin turn-in mechanism and method



H. B. SMITH BOX COVER MARGIN TURN-IN MECHANISM AND METHOD Filed Oct. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 9, 19'28.

H. B. SMITH BOX COVER MARGIN TURN-IN MECHANISM AND METHOD Filed Oct. 26, 1925 /TTORNEY Patented ct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT orifice; I

HARRY BRIDGMAN SMITH, OF N YORK, Y., SSIGNOR TO BRDGMLN & RBIN,

INC., OF NEW YORK,`N. Y., A CORPORATION OFYNEW YORK. v

BoX-covEn-MARGIN .TURN- in MECHANISM AND METHOD."

Application filed Octoberf, 1925. Serial N0. 65,028.

The invention relates to improved mechanism and methods for turning in and aiiixingl projecting cover margins of boxes to inn-er shell-surface margins to providethe desired attractive finish7 at the open edges ofthe box part. l Y

It has hitherto been the practice to place a box part-body or cover section of a paper box-having a continuous cover margin projecting beyond the open edges of the side walls in the planes oi;l the walls, upon a movable form, to turn the cover margins inward horizontally by laterally moving blades or tuck-in fingers, and then to apply another form or plunger substantially iitting the inner contour oi' the box, to turn the margins in and down adjacent the inner faces of the shell-walls, andv then to apply pressure laterally against 'the last mentioned form to press the cover margins in position. Since the projecting margin is continuous, thatis without division of the margin paper at the corners of the box, these operations involve the formation ot overlapping portions or tuck folds at the corners, which are ott-en more or less irregular, bulky and unsightly in appearance.

The general purpose. of the present invention is to provide. a method oi turning and aiiixing cover margins which eliminates the necessity for the use of any box-part supporting form or plunger, or any laterally moving members to turn the margins horizontally, and any form or plunger to turn the horizontal lmargins down adjacent the walls, and instead provides for placing` the box part on any simple support, such as a vertically movable table, moving the box part itself laterally to co-operate with one or more members which turn one or more adjacent cover margins to horizontalposition, and lfor then moving the box part vertically to turn down the horizontal margins by co-operation with relatively stationary turning members, after which pressure is applied to aiiix the margins. The method 'is' also especially devised, as more fully explained hereafter, to co-operate with a box part having the projecting cover margins separated or slit at the vcorners so' that no tuck-fold will be produced and the margins will be folded and presseddown smoothly at the corners wit-hout increased thickness or other undesirable features. The method may be performed with various mechanisms, but the invention also includes mechanism `or a ma:- chine, su'iiciently represented by one example shown in the drawings, for carrying out the method, which is of simp-le organization and therefore may -be produced at. moderate cost and which enables a large out ut to be producedeconomically because .of t e simple character of the machine operations. I The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufiiciently vexplained in connection with the following detail de'- scription of the accompanying vdrawing. which shows one representative embodiment of the invention. After considering this example* skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made, and-I contemplate the employment of' any structures that are properly withinv the scope of the appended claims.

Fig. l is a vertical sectionat 1-1, Fig'. 2, of mechanism embodying the invention in one form. f

' Fig. 2 is a view, mainlyin top plan, with some parts broken away and'so'me in section..

' Fig. 3 is a sectional detail.

Fig. Il is a perspective View of one cornerv portion of a box part having projecting cover margins ready tor the operation 0i' the present machine, or the performance of the invention-method.

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing a com# pleted box part.

The machine is frame which includes a base. l, uprights 2, and a generally L-shaped top piece 3 which connects the upper' ends ofthe uprights. A

vertically movable support or tabler 4 is carried by a vertical bar 5 located in guides 6. j The top plate 3 comprises members arranged ata right angle, and each of these supports similarturning and pressing mechanisni capable of operating simultaneously on the projecting cover margins of two adjacent box walls. Each ot t-hese mechanisms includes a base l() channeled to fit a longitudinal guide rail 1l on the corresponding frame member 3 so that the turning and pressing unit may be adjusted and secured in position by screws 12. A bracket 13 car-- ried by base 10 supports a stationary turning and pressing bar 14which may be debuilt upon or'around av tachably secured by clamps 15. 'llie outer, lower edge or corner 16 oit the bar is beveled or rounded as shown. rlhe adjacent ends o1 the two bars 14 are mitered so that they lit closely together, with a sha-rp and square l rods, serve to normally retract the movable presser bar. The bar has a central stem or rod passing through bearing holes in bracket 13 and a base lug 26. The movable presser' bar usually has an outer facing 28 ot rubber or other suitable compressible material.

The movable pressers may be operated in various ways, for instance, by mechanical linkage; but for the sake or simplicity and manufacturing economy, hydraulic operating means are desirably employed. For each presser bar a hydraulic casing 30l is mounted by means of brackets 31 on one oit the bases 10. yThis casing encloses a diaphragm 32 which'acts on the headBB ot' a stem passing through a bearing hole in the` casing and having its outward end opposed to the end of stem 25 above mentioned. The hydraulic cham ers of the two casings are connected by pipes 40 to a union 41, and this union is connected to the chamber of a similar hydraulic casing 42 mounted on b ase 1 and having similar diaphragm and stem arrangements. Stem 34 of the actuating hydraulic appliance 42 is opposedto a short stem 45 mounted in a bearing hole 46 in the base. A suitable quantity ot a liquid, such as oil, is provided, to substantially lill the hydraulic system.

Formed on or connected to the lower end of tablesupporting bar 5 is a screw 50 engaging the threaded bore ot a collar 51 having an annular channel 52 and provided with a hand wheel 53 'for vertical adjustment. A lever 54 ulcrumed on a trame upright 2 at 55 has a yoke provided'with studs 56 engaging in channel 52. rThe lever also has a cam roller 58 engaging a cam 59 carried by an arm 60 secured to a rock shaft 61 mounted in bearings in trame brackets 63. Also secured on the rock shaft is a pedal lever having a treadle 66 convenient to the operator. The hub of lever 65 is formed with a cam 68 co-operating with the outward end of stem 45. An adjustable stop screw 7() in the trame brackets 71 co-operates with arm 60 to limit upward or return movement of lever 65, which may be urged in that direction by suitable means, such as a spring 75.

Fig. 4 shows two adjacent side walls y and e of a. boX part B. Covering material, usually paper, has been applied to the outer faces ,my invention not here sho-wn or described,

or in other ways. The inner laces of the marginsV are coated with adhesive as indicated by stippling, this having usually been applied to the cover paper before its application to the shell.

One of the box parts B is placed on table y 4, the height of which has been adjusted by `manipulation of the hand wheel 53 to suit the height ot side walls, such as g/,a When the box part is placed on the table the latter is in retracted or lower position, and the movable presser bars 20 are retracted, as shown in Fig. l. horizontally on the table toward one or both oi the movable presser bars 20. When two ot these bars, angularly arranged as shown, are employed, the sliding action will be diagonal or at an angle of 450, so that the walls y and e abut against the two presser bars 20 substantially simultaneously, and the box corner is then located as shown in Fig. 2,

The operator slides the bor part at the slightly-spaced corner provided by the j adjacent ends ot bars 20. It only one pressing mechanism is employed, as may be done in some cases, (the other pressing mechanism then being removed or inactive, or the machine being redesigned accordingly) `the .j

movement of the .box part is at a right angle to the presser bar 20 employed. In either case, the described movement ot the box part brings the upward projecting cover margins m or n, or either of them, in contact with lthe outer face of the lixed turning and pressing bar or bars 14, which turn these margins to horizontal position, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. lvl/hen only one turning bar 14 is used, the turning action will be a straight or right-angle movement with relation'to the margin, such as n and the bar 14, but it' two are employed the action will be diagonal or angular, but because of the free sliding engagement of the cover margins against the turning bars, the margins in either case are turned smoothly to horizontal position.

rllhe operator now steps on treadle 66, depressing the lever 65, and cam 59 acting upon its roller lever 54 elevates bar 5 and the table, moving the box part upward so that the upper portions ot 'the shell walls pass upward between the pressing bars 14 and 2O K, Tired-rounded inner corners 16 of bar 14v pro-5 vide for a smooth turning action Without bumping against the upper ledges of they shells orinjury' 'to the cover paper'. The depression otthe treadlel 66 is continuous, and in its furthermovement cam 68 engages the end of stem 45, which ismoved rearward (to the left in Fig. 1)- and acts on stem 34 to move its head 33 and so to actuate the diaphragm 32 and force the liquid in the hydraulic chamber through pipes 40 to the upper hydraulic chambers 30, and so in an obvious Way the movable presser bars 20 are moved outward and squeeze the upper portions of the box Walls against bars v14, and press the inturned cover margins firmly in position so that they adhere to the inner shell surfaces by means of the previously applied adhesive. Because of the previous separation of the margins by the slits or otherwise, the horizontal turning yand the vertical or inturning actions are smoothly and easily performed at the corners, as Well as along the main stretches oi the margins, Without necessity ;tor the formation of any corner tuck folds, and the adjacentends of the margins smoothly abut, as shown in the finished box part in Fig. 5, or else they may slightly overlap Without, however, any appreciable or no-A ticeable thickening or bunching of the cover material at the corner. The inner corner formation is very smoothly and firmly pressed by the closely meeting ends of the inner pressing bars 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The operator then releases'treadle 66; the lever rises automatically by spring action, iirst causing retraction of theV movable presser bars 20 by action of their springs, and then cam 59 is retracted and the table drops by gravity, bringing the box part down to the position of Fig. 1, and it is then removed by the operator. When two adjacent margins have been simultaneously turned and pressed, the box part is turned half Way roundA and the operations described are repeated to complete the box. If, however,

only one margin is pressed at a time, as When a single pressing unit is employed, the box part is turned one-quarter of the Way around after each operation, and the operations are repeated until the box part is iinished.

It only a single pressing unit is used, the cooperating presser bars 14 and 20 may be made long enough to turn and press the margin on the longest or side Wall of the box, and a notch may be provided in the lower portion of the xed bar 14, as at 14a, Wide enough to accommodate the thickness of the shell Wall and cover paper, With moderate clearance, this notch being spaced from one end of the bar a distance equal to the length of the shoulder or end Wall of the box. The short or end Wall margins may then be pressed by` wma@ box ,amine far ai@ maar im; in the vside f wall will up vinto they The turning and pressngbars M'may be .provided in 'different yleinglgths for derent box` dimensions, and-may 'be readily removedand replaced.v The outer pressing' bari;4 20;

may also' be dimensioned .for dierent boites, but may usually be of such lengths and the table 4 mayalso bel of such dimensions, that the stated parts Will accommodateboxes of varying dimensions, Within any reasonable range.

The method will be understood in detail from the preceding explanation of its performance in connection with the representaive machinedescribed. Its principal features consist in moving the box part in a generally horizontal or lateral direction to turn one or a plurality of adjacent cover margins to horizontal position, and then moving the box part in a generally vertical direction,

or a direction of a right angle to the first movement and in the planes of the side walls, to turn one or a plurality of adjacent margins inward or parallel to the innervfaces of lmoving'the box part in the plane of its bot.-

tom and during such movement turning a margin horizontally, vthen moving the box part substantially in the plane of a side Wall and during such movement turning said margin inward against an adjacent inner face of a side Wall, and then pressing the margin upon said Wall.

2. Mechanism of the class described, comprising a movable box support, means for moving it, a fixed turning bar to turn a projecting cover horizontally by lateral movement of a box part on thesupport, the bar also serving to turn the margin inward when the support is moved to movethe box part substantially in the plane of a side Wall, and

kmeans then acting in co-operation with the bar to press and affix the margin.

3. Mechanism of the class described, comprising a frame, a'ixed presser bar, a cooperating movable bar, a hydraulic act-uator for the movable bar, a hydraulic driver connected to the actuator, a movable box support, and arbitrarily controlled means for moving the box support and for energizing the hydraulic driver in timed relation. l 4. Mechanism of the class described, comprising relatively movable pressing bars, a

hydraulio actuator t move the bars eonvering operation to turn said margin down gently for pressing, a'y hydraulic driver conagainst an yinner wall face by Co-operation 1 neeted to the actuator, means for positioning with the pressing bar. Y

an article to be pressed in relation to the bars, Signed at New York city, in the county of one of the ycars beingarranged to turn a boX New York and State of New York this 22nd wall margin horizontally by a lateral moveday of October A. D.` 1925.

ment of the box, and means for moving said 4 positioning means vertically before the press HARRY BRIDGMAN SMITH. 

